Willing Workers’ Bacle raises grand champion steer

Zach Bacle, of Wheatland Willing Workers, showcases his prize-winning steer he calls “Jessie” at the Kenosha County Fair (Jason Arndt/The Report).

Weis finishes County Fair career on high note

By Jason Arndt
Editor

Entering the Kenosha County Fair, Zach Bacle had positive vibes about Jessie, his 1,370-pound crossbred steer.

The steer, he said, was bought from the Runkel family, which captured top awards from the Racine County Fair and Wisconsin State Fair.

“The Runkels are the ones that won at the state fair,” Bacle said. “I bought it from (Reid Runkel) and they know their steers and I learned from them.”

“I thought I had a really good chance of winning it,” he added.

That chance came to fruition, as the Wheatland Willing Workers 4-H club member took Jessie to a grand champion win, which was the first of his four-year career in the county fair show ring.

Bacle, 17, an incoming Westosha Central High School senior, said the win was quick progression.

“This is my fourth year and I have never won anything before,” he said. “This is the first year I ever won anything and it was grand champion.”

His first win comes after spending countless hours with Jessie in the barn, where he would often start working with the steer at 5:30 a.m., feeding him three times a day while balancing a job. Bacle then returned to the barn after 10 p.m. to continue his work.

“I spent a lot of hours with him,” he said. “You pretty much get what you put into it.”

While Bacle dedicated his time raising the steer, he said the win would not have been possible without the help of his family, including mother, Lorna, and brother, Colton.

“My mom helped me out a lot (and) my brother helped me out a lot with the feeding,” Bacle said.

Bacle’s victory, however, came with a set of challenges.

Those included a stronger desire to win and his steer’s stubborn demeanor.

“I put a lot more work into it this year,” he said. “He is the hardest steer I ever had to work on, he is so stubborn. He would not walk.”

Other winners were: Reserve Grand Champion, Katie Walkington, Bristol Strivers; Champion Angus, Joseph McManus, Wheatland Willing Workers; Champion Hereford, Jacob Lois, Wheatland Willing Workers; Champion Shorthorn, Lucas Sullivan, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Champion Dairy-Beef, Ryan Herda, Bristol Strivers; Champion English-Cross, Joseph Rossi, Paris Happy Workers; Champion Any Other Breed, Emily Springer, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Champion Simmental, Travis Harpster, Wheatland Willing Workers; Champion Rate of Gain, William Herda, Bristol Strivers and Joseph Rossi, Paris Happy Workers; Champion Overall Showman, Joseph McManus, Wheatland Willing Workers; Senior Showman, Andrea Edquist, Paris Happy Workers; Intermediate Showman, Katie Walkington, Bristol Strivers; Junior Showman, Paige Sullivan, Brighton Bombers/Explorers.

Weis ends on high note

Carrie Weis, of Paris Happy Workers, presents her grand champion pig named “Lily” at the Kenosha County Fair. She also won an award in the dairy category (Jason Arndt/The Report).

In her last appearance at the Kenosha County Fair, Carrie Weis was just looking to make the most of it, but she came away a winner in multiple categories.

Weis, a Carthage College sophomore, became grand champion for a 280-pound crossbred pig she calls Lily and also won senior showman.

Additionally, Weis had a 266-pound Duroc pig named Alivia, which finished second in the breed category to Paige Armbruster.

Weis then collected three Dairy awards, including Supreme Grand Champion for a 6-year-old Heifer she calls Mistletoe, which also won in the senior Holstein category.

Her other award came as in the junior Holstein category with Cheddar.

“It feels amazing because I have wanted this so bad and it is nice that I finally got it in my last year of showing,” said Weis, who has shown pigs for nine years. “Even if I didn’t win supreme champion or grand champion, I still would have made the best of my last year showing.”

Weis, who graduated from Westosha Central in 2017, studies nursing at Carthage.

Other winners were: Reserve Grand Champion, Jordyn Schultz, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Champion Duroc, Paige Armbruster, Bristol Strivers; Champion Chester White, Aaron Denko, Wheatland Willing Workers; Champion Spot, Brent Mason Jr., Wheatland Willing Workers; Champion Hampshire, Jordyn Schultz, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Champion Yorkshire, Noah Daniels, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Champion Any Other Breed, Abigail Elfering, Bristol Strivers; Champion Poland China, Naomi Pogue, Salem Pioneers; Champion Carcass, Paul Halladay, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Reserve Champion Carcass, Wylie Jackson, Paris Happy Workers; Grand Champion Showman, Chloe Lois, Wheatland Willing Workers; Senior Showman, Carrie Weis, Paris Happy Workers; Intermediate Showman, Molly Berezowitz, Wheatland Willing Workers; Junior Showman, Chloe Lois, Wheatland Willing Workers; Beginner Showman, Amy Elfering, Bristol Strivers.

Christensen captures lamb title
Lauren Christensen, of the Slades Corners Lucky Clovers 4-H club, became grand champion with her 160-pound lamb.

She also showed a 130 pound Dorset.

Other winners were: Reserve Champion, Carolann Bradley, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Grand Champion Pen, Brighton Bombers/Explorers; Reserve Champion Pen, Kendall Krumm, Paris Happy Workers; Champion Shropshire, Andrew Drissel, Paris Happy Workers; Champion Hampshire, Nicholas Drissel, Paris Happy Workers; Champion Oxford, Lauren Foerster, Bristol Strivers; Champion Dorset, Andrew Drissel, Paris Happy Workers.


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